


Not Playing

by AriaDream



Category: Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/F, F/M, Recovery, Revenge, Threesome - F/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-02
Updated: 2017-03-02
Packaged: 2018-09-27 20:53:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10048814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AriaDream/pseuds/AriaDream
Summary: Sequel to Play! Diarmuid is going to require some help recovering from the shock of what he's experienced. Kayneth and Sola-Ui are definitely not therapists but they're going to try their best. Oh, and killing Gilgamesh is definitely in the day planner.





	

“Lancer, pull yourself together and tell me what the hell happened!” Kayneth demanded. Then he stared as his useless servant started to _cry._ “You worthless servant! Is this how a knight behaves, crying like a hurt child? REPORT, Lancer!” Kayneth couldn’t believe it. He’d found many faults with Diarmuid, but never his courage. Yet, he couldn’t rouse Lancer from this – this – whatever the hell this was.

Sighing in exasperation Kayneth gave up on talking to the idiot and instead engaged his brain. Well, obviously Diarmuid had gotten caught by Archer. How that had happened Kayneth had no clue, it was supposed to have been just light reconnaissance, scouting the defenses from a safe distance. Diarmuid’s hideous luck stat acting up? Perhaps. And it seemed for some odd reason, Archer had taken him alive and returned him after doing… what?

Kayneth frowned and glanced over his Servant, blinking as he realized Diarmuid was naked. He actually hadn’t noticed, thanks to the garish colors splattered all over him. What was all that? Touching it, he felt upraised lines, cool and waxy. Scratching one with a fingernail, Kayneth examined the residue. It was actually wax?

“…I’m just confused now,” Kayneth muttered to himself. Then he frowned as he looked over his servant. There was dried… stuff on him. And not all dry either, some of it was still quite wet. A whitish fluid, Kayneth tried to figure out what it could be. Then Sola-Ui stepped into the room.

“Kayneth, the defenses, what – Diarmuid!” Kayneth grimaced to himself as she immediately knelt beside Lancer. Her hands lit with healing energies but he headed her off.

“There’s no real injuries. However, he’s completely incoherent and covered in wax as well as this… substance.” Kayneth rubbed it between his fingers before sniffing it. It didn’t smell like anything. The only thing left was to taste it and he wasn’t sure he wanted to. What was that? “Archer returned him to me in this state.” Glancing at Diarmuid’s face, Kayneth saw he was unconscious. There was a small smile on his face, despite the tearstains. “I can’t figure out what this is.” Kayneth said, touching another bit of the white stuff. Sola-Ui’s sharp and disbelieving laugh made him blink.

“You really don’t know what that is?!?” Kayneth just stared at her in confusion. Sola-Ui looked at him like he was an idiot. “You’re a man! Haven’t you ever masturbated?” …What?!?

“What in – what the – what does that have to do with this?!?” Kayneth demanded, his cheeks suddenly hot. The look on Sola-Ui’s face was moving towards pitying.

“Kayneth, it’s semen,” she said in a gentle tone and Kayneth’s breath caught in his throat. Semen? Looking over Diarmuid he felt a bit faint.

“There’s so much of it,” Kayneth whispered as his mind suddenly connected the dots. What could make a Heroic Spirit cry like a child? Archer had been entertained. Oh gods, he suddenly wanted to vomit. “…We need to clean him up.” That was absolutely imperative.

“I’ll get the bath running,” Sola-Ui said and Kayneth nodded, calling up several summoned spirits to carry Diarmuid. As an afterthought, he got them to clean the carpet as well. It was badly soiled.

Soon they had Lancer up to his neck in suds and were scrubbing every inch of him. Regrettably, the wax did not come off. The bathwater wasn’t hot enough to melt it. How did you get rid of that? Scrape it off? Kayneth left as Sola-Ui was tending him and came back with two credit cards.

“I believe the best way to remove that wax would be with these,” Kayneth said as he handed her one. Sola-Ui accepted it with a nod.

“Not until we get him out of the tub. The wax would plug up the plumbing,” she said. How practical. But her practicality was something Kayneth loved about Sola-Ui.

“This is a huge setback for our plans,” Kayneth murmured as he helped Sola-Ui get Lancer out of the tub. The man was still unconscious. Mercifully so, perhaps. “We literally don’t have time for this.” Therapy could take _years._

“He’s a Heroic Spirit. He should be more durable,” Sola-Ui said but didn’t sound confident. Kayneth shook his head. How many heroes had endured an attack like this? No doubt his mental strength would help Lancer to recover but it would take a while. And time was something they really didn’t have.

“We’ll have to see.” If their Servant proved to be truly crippled, what should they do? Retire early from the Grail War, Kayneth supposed. Trying to compete without a functional Servant would simply be insane. Still, it was too early to even guess how Diarmuid would eventually react to this.

Working together, Kayneth and Sola-Ui gently scraped off the wax. It took quite a while, it seemed to be everywhere. With that finally done, they tucked Diarmuid into bed. He didn’t wake up at any point and Kayneth wondered, queasily, if Gilgamesh had kept him awake all night doing… that. Kayneth conjured up an air sprite.

“Keep a watch on him and alert us as soon as he awakens,” Kayneth instructed it before turning away. Sola-Ui seemed tempted to stay. “He might not wake up for hours,” Kayneth reminded her and she shook her head before following him with a few backward glances. Normally that would have annoyed him. Right now, well. Diarmuid deserved more than a bit of concern. “What kind of a monster does this.” Kayneth muttered to himself. It seemed particularly obscene to treat a Heroic Spirit this way.

“Gilgamesh is a monster. It’s why the gods tried to kill him,” Sola-Ui sounded tired and Kayneth nodded with a sigh. “There’s nothing more we can do. I’m going back to my work.” She was working on her own research and Kayneth nodded.

“Myself as well.” Although even when he should have been busy considering his plans to utterly destroy his enemies, Kayneth found he couldn’t really concentrate. His thoughts kept going to his idiot Servant, considering the possible mental damage he’d just suffered.

That would be much, much harder to repair than mere physical wounds.

* * *

 

It was almost ten hours before Diarmuid finally awakened from his rest.

When he did, the air sprite alerted Kayneth. He walked into the room to find Diarmuid still in bed, his head turned away. As soon as he took a step inside, though, Diarmuid’s head moved sharply and Kayneth saw wary tension in his servant before Lancer registered who had entered the bedroom. Then his Servant relaxed slightly. Although there was still a great deal of tension in him.

“My lord, I’m sorry. I have failed you and disgraced myself as a knight,” Diarmuid said quietly before closing his eyes. “If it were not for the Grail I would ask that I be allowed to take my own life.” …!

“Stop that. Falling to a superior opponent is not your fault. Archer is the strongest of all Heroic Spirits,” Kayneth snapped back, sharp as a knife. Diarmuid shook his head. “Getting caught is your fault. How in hell did that happen?” His cheeks suddenly flamed.

“I – I stumbled my lord. It was so stupid I didn’t see…” Diarmuid mumbled and Kayneth sighed. Curse his luck. “He shouldn’t have been there I don’t know why he was.” Of course. Kayneth actually considered squeezing his servant’s shoulder before considering the fact that he was still naked under the covers. Not a good idea.

“What’s done is done. Did you learn anything of use about Archer?” Kayneth immediately regretted the question as Diarmuid looked incredibly haunted.

“He thinks I have beautiful eyes,” the hero whispered and Kayneth fought not to cringe. “N… No my lord. Nothing of value,” Diarmuid said more strongly and Kayneth nodded.

“Very well. Please get dressed and join us for supper,” Kayneth said as gently as he could and was surprised to see Lancer look distressed. What was that about? Leaving the room so Diarmuid could do that, Kayneth went to join Sola-Ui in the dining room. To his bemusement, she was fussing over some plates.

“What is that?” Kayneth asked as he looked at the cakes Sola-Ui was carefully plating. They were little works of art, decorated with gold leaf and very tiny, fondant roses. Beneath the glitter they looked exceedingly chocolaty.

“Chocolate hazelnut truffle cakes from the local French bakery.” This town had a French bakery? “Diarmuid will love them.” Yes, he would, the ancient hero had mentioned that he considered chocolate to be a divine gift of the modern era. Kayneth reached out to steal a little icing and got his fingers slapped. “Kayneth! They’re for dessert!”

“I just wanted to try them,” he said with a touch of a whine. Instead of glaring, though, Sola-Ui actually smiled a little.

“You can wait, it won’t kill you. And I want them to be beautiful.” She opened another box and was that actual roses? A bit bemused, Kayneth went to make himself some tea. God only knew what they were having for supper. While he was waiting for the leaves to steep, Lancer joined them. He looked damp, like he’d freshly showered.

“Would you like some tea?” Kayneth asked. It wouldn’t be difficult to make another cup. Diarmuid looked oddly distressed at the polite question before dropping his eyes.

“I… would appreciate that, my lord. If you do not mind?” Lancer questioned and Kayneth shook his head, quickly putting together another cup. Earl grey tea, it was his favorite. Deciding he could wait, he gave Diarmuid the already prepared cup. He didn’t seem to notice, looking into the tea as he sat at the table and cupped the mug in his hands. Kayneth noticed him shiver before he took a drink.

_He feels cold,_ Kayneth sighed internally as he took his own tea to the table. He was sure Lancer’s shivering had nothing to do with his wet hair. What was he to do though? He wasn’t a therapist and Sola-Ui wasn’t much better.

“The flowers are nice, aren’t they?” Kayneth said, just trying to make small talk. Diarmuid’s eyes focused on the flowers and he looked mildly surprised, as if he’d just seen them for the first time.

“They are beautiful. White and red roses although the… glitter…” Kayneth looked at the roses again, seeing the sparkle of gold on the dark green leaves. It made a beautiful accent but Gilgamesh’s armor was also very gold. Looking back at Diarmuid, he saw the man was staring into his tea, his expression haunted again.

“I’ll go see what Sola-Ui is doing in the kitchen,” Kayneth said before taking his tea and leaving the table. Sola-Ui was arranging real roses on the plates with the cakes? Amusing but… “Can you scrape the gold off those?” Kayneth asked and Sola-Ui looked at him in astonishment.

“Why would I do that? They’re beautiful!” She exclaimed and Kayneth grimaced, glancing toward the dining room. Then he made a small ‘shush’ gesture before speaking quietly.

“Diarmuid won’t like it. It will definitely remind him of Archer.” There was no doubt. Sola-Ui’s eyes widened before she frowned.

“I see.” She turned back to her cakes, looking at them consideringly. “I can scrape it off and arrange the roses a bit. It shouldn’t be too obvious,” Sola-Ui said and Kayneth nodded. “Can you get the dinner out while I do that?”

“Certainly.” It was odd how they were actually behaving like real fiancees for once, all because they were trying to pamper Lancer. Bizarre even. Kayneth didn’t mind though, quite the opposite really and he set aside his tea to bring out the little trolley of food.

“Oh, my lord, let me get that!” Kayneth was pleased when Diarmuid showed some life, coming to his side and helping get the dishes out. Soon it was all in place and Kayneth whisked away the covers as Sola-Ui came to join them, smiling.

“Beef wellington? Very nice,” Kayneth said approvingly. There was a mushroom gravy that could be poured on top, or horseradish. And crispy potatoes and asparagus on the side. It all looked mouth watering. And the wine going with it was a fine vintage.

As they ate, though, Kayneth noticed some troubling signs. Diarmuid wasn’t eating much, despite the fact that food was the simplest way to regain prana. He just seemed to be pushing the food around on his plate, taking the occasional, absent-minded bite. And he didn’t touch the wine at all.

“Is the wine not to your liking?” Kayneth asked and Diarmuid looked up from his plate before shaking his head.

“No, it’s good,” he said before taking a sip. Then the ancient hero set down the glass, staring into it for a moment. Kayneth saw that haunted look enter his eyes. “It’s very red,” Diarmuid said quietly, brows knitting for a moment before he looked away. “I… do we have any white perhaps?”

“White wine with beef? You idiot! That’s terrible! Drink your cabernet and enjoy it!” Kayneth said sharply before belatedly remembering. Didn’t Gilgamesh have red eyes? And wasn’t he trying to be kind to the idiot?

“Kayneth!” Sola-Ui was about to give him hell for that when Dairmuid’s chuckle caught both their attentions.

“It’s fine, my lady. You’re right my lord, this is a very fine vintage,” Diarmuid said, his eyes much calmer as he took a sip. Kayneth felt honestly baffled. Being yelled at almost seemed to have settled him? Deciding not to look a gift horse in the mouth, Kayneth poured some of the mushroom sauce on his beef. Mmm, delicious.

They ate and made a bit of small talk, about the weather and the possibility of croissants tomorrow, courtesy of a certain bakery. Diarmuid said very little but smiled a few times and drank the wine, although Kayneth noticed he still wasn’t touching the food much. Eventually they were all done and Diarmuid helped Sola-Ui put the plates back into the trolley.

“Both of you stay here though. I have a special surprise!” Sola-Ui said brightly and Lancer smiled before taking his seat. Kayneth just stayed where he was, finishing the last of the wine. He’d been expecting that.

It didn’t take long for Sola-Ui to come back with a fresh trolley, this one carrying the desserts and a nice carafe of hot coffee. Diarmuid accepted a cup of it, which was an odd choice. Kayneth knew the servant generally despised coffee. Well, he was sweetening and creaming it to the point it might not be considered coffee anymore. Sola-Ui set the desserts out and they really were gorgeously plated, with a sliced strawberry, a genuine red rose and big swirls of chocolate sauce. They hardly needed the gold leaf.

“My lady, thank you. If it tastes as marvelous as it looks, it will be a remarkable confection,” Diarmuid said it well and Sola-Ui preened in pleasure but Kayneth was paying close attention and caught something a little forced in the Servant’s tone. Curse it, had they missed some of the gold foil?

This time, though, the way Diarmuid picked at the cake was quite noticeable. Not wanting to eat supper might be normal for him but spurning chocolate cake? Never. And he was drinking the coffee, using it to warm his hands. Kayneth honestly had no idea what to do.

Sola-Ui, fortunately, had an idea.

“Diarmuid,” Sola-Ui went to his side and bent down beside him, gently resting a hand on Lancer’s back. He flinched slightly but she didn’t let him pull away. “You need to try to reconnect with your body. Be mindful of what it’s telling you and take joy in the things you experience.” Kayneth blinked, his cake suddenly completely forgotten. Had she…? “Take a bite of the cake. Hold it in your mouth for a moment and analyze how it feels.” Diarmuid looked at his cake for a moment before picking up a forkful. He placed it in his mouth, golden eyes vague as he paid attention to his senses. “Then chew on it, slowly. Experience every part of it.” Diarmuid closed his eyes then, immersing himself in his senses. Kayneth watched as he swallowed, his throat moving. Then golden eyes opened again.

“Thank you, my lady. I… was not paying attention. And I would not wish to waste your cake,” Diarmuid said and Sola-Ui smiled at him encouragingly.

“You matter more than the cake ever could. Make yourself feel better,” she said and Diarmuid nodded with a pensive smile. But then he really began eating the cake and Kayneth breathed a small sigh of relief. Although he’d have to talk to Sola-Ui about this later. Did she have experience with this sort of thing?

Diarmuid finished all of the cake and looked happier when he was done, almost content. Then he pressed a hand to his mouth, covering a yawn.

“I’m… sorry, my lord, I’ve slept so long but I find I’m very tired,” Diarmuid muttered and Kayneth nodded, sipping his coffee.

“Then go to bed. It’s late anyway, we can get started tomorrow.” Diarmuid gave him a grateful look before leaving the table. Kayneth waited until he was safely gone before speaking to his fiancée. “Sola-Ui, have you…?” He didn’t want to say the words. She gave him a wan smile as she drank some wine.

“No, but I had a friend who went through it. I bought some books and read them, trying to be helpful.” She shrugged, looking into her wine. “I don’t remember too much though. Just the need to reconnect with the body and something about mindful eating. Also, I think it recommended yoga and meditation.” Meditation? That somehow seemed like something Diarmuid might be good at. Weren’t knights supposed to have vigils or something?

“I know how to meditate, I do it sometimes. Perhaps I’ll teach him,” Kayneth mused and Sola-Ui looked at him in surprise. Then she smiled.

“I have trouble picturing you meditating.” Kayneth shrugged. Wasn’t the first time he’d heard that, with his temper. “You should make it a group lesson then. I’d like to learn too.”

“Certainly, if you wish,” Kayneth said, feeling a bit lighter. At least he and Sola-Ui were getting on better, that was something. “When can I send Lancer out though,” Kayneth muttered to himself. He wanted to take on Kiritsugu again but did he dare do that when Lancer’s strength was… questionable? Perhaps if he brought Sola-Ui for backup. He strongly disliked exposing her to danger but…

“Not tomorrow, that’s for certain. We need time to evaluate his mental state. What are you thinking?” Sola-Ui asked and they were quickly embroiled in a discussion about strategy and tactics. To Kayneth’s mild surprise, she was more than willing to contemplate joining the battle directly. That was helpful, he knew he’d need it.

If Diarmuid couldn’t be fully relied upon, they would have to take up the slack.


End file.
